In Search for Methods to Support Electronic Patient Recruitment in a Multi-ICU Clinical Trial

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

• Antifungal drugs treat fungal infections, a common cause of death in intensive care units.
• Unnecessary use of antifungals drives multidrug resistance and increases healthcare expenses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare two software platforms for identifying patients eligible for premature discontinuation of unnecessary antifungal drugs.
• To evaluate technical aspects and user-friendliness of recruitment support software.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study was conducted at University Hospital Erlangen.
• Two software platforms, a business intelligence application and an Arden Syntax-based approach, were implemented and compared.
• Technical aspects (development time, query runtimes) and usability were assessed.

Main Results:

• Both software platforms effectively identified patient cohorts for premature discontinuation of antifungal therapy.
• The Arden Syntax approach offered a low-effort alternative to a full business intelligence application.
• Insights into clinical documentation context and data quality were gained.

Conclusions:

• Practical identification of patient cohorts for antifungal stewardship is achievable with different software solutions.
• The choice of software depends on a thorough analysis of the clinical environment and documentation context.
• Optimizing antifungal drug use is crucial for combating resistance and managing healthcare costs.